Aydar Lake
| Aydar Lake | |
|---|---|
| Location | Kyzyl Kum |
| Coordinates | 40°55′00″N 66°48′00″E / 40.91667°N 66.80000°E |
| Lake type | artificial lake |
| Basin countries | Uzbekistan |
| Max. length | 250 km (160 mi) |
| Max. width | 15 km (9.3 mi) |
| Surface area | 3,000 km2 (1,200 sq mi) |
| Water volume | 44.3 km3 (10.6 cu mi) |
| Official name | Aydar-Arnasay Lakes system |
| Designated | 20 October 2008 |
| Reference no. | 1841 |
The Aydar Lake (Uzbek: Aydar Ko‘li, Айдар кўли; Haydar ko‘li, Ҳайдар кўли; alternate spellings: Lake Aydarkul, Lake Aidarkul) is part of the man-made Aydar-Arnasay system of lakes, which covers 4,000 square kilometres (1,500 mi2). This has 3 brackish water lakes (the two others being Arnasay and Tuzkan), deep basins of the south-eastern Kyzyl Kum (now in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan). The lakes are expansive reservoirs of Soviet planning.
Being brackish rather than saline they have high rates of evaporation, prompting a moist summer microclimate, often attracting rain clouds, which has led to the replenishment of the North Aral Sea. It is also known as sea in the sand due to its wide sandy beaches and clean salty water.